Communist Party's Purge: Top Officials Ousted Amid Anti-Corruption Drive

China's Communist Party removed former foreign and defence ministers Qin Gang and Li Shangfu from its Central Committee during a key meeting. The removals, part of a broader anti-corruption campaign, underscore the party's ongoing efforts to discipline high-ranking officials. The expulsion signals severe political repercussions for those implicated.

China's Communist Party has expelled former foreign minister Qin Gang and former defence minister Li Shangfu from its Central Committee, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday. The decision was made during a crucial meeting of the party's top decision-making body.

The party's third plenum, a long-awaited gathering of the 205-member Central Committee, concluded with significant implications for the country's socio-economic policies. The Central Committee also accepted the resignation of Qin Gang and confirmed the expulsion of Li Shangfu and former PLA Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao for 'serious violations of discipline and law,' a term often used to denote corruption.

The expulsion of Li Shangfu and Li Yuchao from both the Communist Party and its Central Committee indicates more severe consequences compared to Qin Gang's resignation. President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign has intensified this year, with 36 officials at the vice-ministerial level and above being investigated in the first half of 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)